My elderly cat is taking the piss..

Out cats bring us presents, fortunately only toy mice as they never go out. They need to be with us, and unless asleep will be on our laps. If I go to the loo they will howl outside the door, just like a toddler! Being Siamese, they talk to us and answer back, we can have long 'conversations'

They obviously see us as part of their family, we get washed, though not as rigorously as each other, they run to the door when we come home, and make a huge fuss when they first see me in the morning, and that is after DH has fed them!

Annaram: we can say that cats are not ghastly because we have long since accepted that they are beasts of prey.

It is their nature to hunt and the fact that they do hunt mice and rats is historically the reason that cats and humans have shared houseroom since the days of Ancient Egypt.

You may never eat meat, or have killed as much as a fly, but as a species we humans haven't a better record than the household cat, have we?

I discovered that my cat hated helium filled balloons. One floating over an area I wished to keep cat free always saw her off.

I don’t think any of our cats have ever pined for us, Sparklefizz although they have changed behaviour when one of their fellow cats has died. The two cats we have now are total hussies - they go to anyone. They are extremely loving in their behaviour but I have no doubts that their affection would be easily transferred. ?

One of our dogs pined when she was in a kennel once, but that was the circumstances of the kennel rather than us. When one of my sons went away for six months she had completely forgotten who he was when he came back. Charming!

There is plenty of evidence that our cats and dogs care about us. If we treat them with love and affection, they return it. I could give you many examples of loving behaviour from my cats over the years, SueDonim, including pining when I have gone away even though they have been looked after in my absence.

However, I'm not going to waste my time and energy on trying to persuade people who have their own set views.

I hope this can go back to being a light-hearted thread for we cat-lovers!

There is always one Annaraml! who has to jump on a thread which up till then had been quite fun and light hearted. I am another who wonders why post a thread for cat lovers just to say you arent.

How bizarre to think people have pets so that said animal cares about them. We’ve had cats, dogs, rabbits and budgies over the years but I’ve never had any illusion that any of them care for us. They’re simply doing what they need to live their best lives.

I may not understand cat behaviour but I have had to put up with cat cruelty to other creatures on the many occasions I have had to look after my son's cat. Those of you who think its OK because this is the cat's natural behaviour are excusing these nasty things. Yes, they are a joy to some people but they are only after one thing - food or stroking or whatever and they don't care about you at all. My son's cat winds himself around my legs because he wants me to feed him. He jumps up on my knee when I am watching TV. because he wants to knead my leg and his claws are sharp. Even my son and his family regret getting him. Looking after him has not made me a cat lover. I am not cruel to him and he thinks I love him because I feed him and stroke him.

lemongrove ^I had one of those cats too ( orange and white)
I also have your thick cream curtains.?^

What amazing taste we have, lemon

Spray him with a spray bottle of water. Keep the water sprayer on the table. Eventually, phase out the spray with a "sphhh" sound...that'll learn him

........but DON'T rub lemon if you have granite surfaces! And I don't think I'd want cat repellant on my work surfaces either..

rub lemon over the work surface edges.smells nice but keeps cats off. or cat repellant...if you like spray stuff
....

Sparklefizz

This is Lottie. She was a Turkish Van cat which are known for being extremely lively and adventurous and loving water.

I had one of those cats too ( orange and white)
I also have your thick cream curtains.?

Our boy is now 14 and he behaves quite differently. As a young cat he was busy patrolling his boundary fences, killing mice, fighting with other invading cats and climbing trees. Now he is like a naughty 90 year old. He jumps on work surfaces, yowls at the top of his voice almost constantly, pesters for food, walks in front of the TV or computer screen and tries to climb on the dining table whenever we are eating. The vet concluded he wants reassurance, possibly because he is almost totally deaf and the world is now a confusing place. He is probably also bored now he doesnt have the possibility of hunting or ruling his territory. Thus a lot of the behaviour is attention seeking.

Shouting at him doesnt work (deaf!) but I slam my hand down on the worktops right next to him and I think the vibration puts him off and he gets down. We have made a real effort to give him lots of strokes and cuddles and he does seem a bit better recently. We call him The Sad Old Relic (said in a lovingly kind voice) to remind ourselves he cant help being in his dotage and to try and have the patience to be kind to him when he is being utterly irritating (we love him really).

Yes shut the kitchen door ...simples

I would never allow a cat on the kitchen worktops - it’s so unhygienic. The best way is to keep them out of the kitchen, and certainly not feed them there.

Try rattling the foil if/when you see the cat about to jump up. For some unknown reason cats just don't like foil, I know mine don't.

Annaram1 I'm sure you recognise that people either understand cat behaviour or they do not. You clearly belong to the latter group and will never understand the real joy and companionship that cats bring to those that love them. I don't much care for dogs but it wouldn't occur to me to ridicule those who love them.

Annaram1 It's no use saying all this to me of all people. I am a confirmed cat-lover and I still don't know why you came on a cat thread just to post that cats are ghastly. You are hardly going to convert all of us.

This is why I have dogs. Try and find a Pug that can leap onto a work surface......

Sparklefizz, I am sorry but you only have to read most of the posts on this thread to realise that cats are ghastly. They are the very devil. I have looked after my son's cat many times when the family goes on holiday. I sleep in their house. I can hear the catflap opening in the middle of the night and a lot of scuffling and squeaking going on. He has brought in a defenceless little creature and thinks it fun to torture it. If I attempt to rescue it you should hear the cat growling in anger.... I have found bits of creatures all over the house, a dead young rabbit in pieces all over the bathroom and hall, loads of blood, a a dead mouse's entrails and eyes on my son's computer keyboard. How can anyone say they are not ghastly?

My daughters dog takes a flying leap onto her kitchen counter!

Would love to know how to stop that bad behaviour.

As my cats got older they started doing similar things, it was as if they had forgotten the "rules" of the house. Maybe their senior brains do forget? In the end I covered my table with a blanket so that if they did it when I was not in they could lay there comfortably without making a mess. I think he might be too old to re train.

Indoors that is

Mine is the same age and he is taking the piss literally. He has his meal I put him outside and he defiantly goes anywhere any tips to stop him?